(a) A county may by ordinance regulate the storage, collection, transportation, use, disposal, and other disposition of solid wastes. Such an ordinance may:

(1) Regulate the activities of persons, firms, and corporations, both public and private.

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(2) Require each person wishing to commercially collect or dispose of solid wastes to secure a license from the county and prohibit any person from commercially collecting or disposing of solid wastes without a license. A fee may be charged for a license.

(3) Grant a franchise to one or more persons for the exclusive right to commercially collect or dispose of solid wastes within all or a defined portion of the county and prohibit any other person from commercially collecting or disposing of solid wastes in that area. The board of commissioners may set the terms of any franchise; provided, however, no franchise shall be granted for a period of more than 30 years, except for a franchise granted to a sanitary landfill for the life-of-site of the landfill pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-294(b1), which may not exceed 60 years. A franchise granted for a sanitary landfill shall be subject to all requirements pertaining thereto under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-294 No franchise by its terms may impair the authority of the board of commissioners to regulate fees as authorized by this section.

(4) Regulate the fees, if any, that may be charged by licensed or franchised persons for collecting or disposing of solid wastes.

(5) Require the source separation of materials prior to collection of solid waste for disposal.

(6) Require participation in a recycling program by requiring separation of designated materials by the owner or occupant of the property prior to disposal. An owner of recovered materials as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-290(a)(24) retains ownership of the recovered materials until the owner conveys, sells, donates, or otherwise transfers the recovered materials to a person, firm, company, corporation, or unit of local government. A county may not require an owner to convey, sell, donate, or otherwise transfer recovered materials to the county or its designee. If an owner places recovered materials in receptacles or delivers recovered materials to specific locations, receptacles, and facilities that are owned or operated by the county or its designee, then ownership of these materials is transferred to the county or its designee.

(6a) Regulate the illegal disposal of solid waste, including littering on public and private property, provide for enforcement by civil penalties as well as other remedies, and provide that such regulations may be enforced by county employees specially appointed as environmental enforcement officers.

(7) Include any other proper matter.

(b) Any ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be consistent with and supplementary to any rules adopted by the Commission for Public Health or the Department of Environmental Quality.

(c) The board of commissioners of a county shall consider alternative sites and socioeconomic and demographic data and shall hold a public hearing prior to selecting or approving a site for a new sanitary landfill that receives residential solid waste that is located within one mile of an existing sanitary landfill within the State. The distance between an existing and a proposed site shall be determined by measurement between the closest points on the outer boundary of each site. The definitions set out in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-290 apply to this subsection. As used in this subsection:

(1) “Approving a site” refers to prior approval of a site under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-294(a)(4).

(2) “Existing sanitary landfill” means a sanitary landfill that is in operation or that has been in operation within the five-year period immediately prior to the date on which an application for a permit is submitted.

(3) “New sanitary landfill” means a sanitary landfill that includes areas not within the legal description of an existing sanitary landfill as set out in the permit for the existing sanitary landfill.

(4) “Socioeconomic and demographic data” means the most recent socioeconomic and demographic data compiled by the United States Bureau of the Census and any additional socioeconomic and demographic data submitted at the public hearing.

(d) As used in this section, “solid waste” means nonhazardous solid waste, that is, solid waste as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-290 but not including hazardous waste.

(e) A county that has planning jurisdiction over any portion of the site of a sanitary landfill may employ a local government landfill liaison. No person who is responsible for any aspect of the management or operation of the landfill may serve as a local government landfill liaison. A local government landfill liaison shall have a right to enter public or private lands on which the landfill facility is located at reasonable times to inspect the landfill operation in order to:

(1) Ensure that the facility meets all local requirements.

(2) Identify and notify the Department of suspected violations of applicable federal or State laws, regulations, or rules.

(3) Identify and notify the Department of potentially hazardous conditions at the facility.

(f) Entry pursuant to subsection (e) of this section shall not constitute a trespass or taking of property. (1955, c. 1050; 1957, cc. 120, 376; 1961, c. 40; c. 514, s. 1; cc. 711, 803; c. 806, s. 1; 1965, c. 452; 1967, cc. 34, 90; c. 183, s. 1; cc. 304, 339; c. 495, s. 4; 1969, cc. 79, 155, 176; c. 234, s. 1; c. 452; c. 1003, s. 4; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; c. 822, s. 1; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1009, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1013, s. 1; 1993, c. 165, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 11A.123; 2001-512, s. 5; 2007-182, s. 2; 2007-550, s. 11(a); 2015-241, s. 14.30(u); 2017-10, s. 3.2(d); 2018-114, s. 21(c).)